Tim Butcher's extraordinary, audacious journey through the Congo is worthy of the great 19th century explorers. Completely enthralling but also a thoughtful and sobering portrait of modern Africa
ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
A remarkable, fascinating book by a courageous and perceptive writer. One of the most exciting books to emerge from Africa in recent years.
THE SUNDAY TIMES
Tim Butcher’s book is the latest in a long line, running through Joseph Conrad, Graham Greene, VS Nai-paul… his account of a hair-rising trip from east to west, against all advice, by motorbike and then river boat, is gripping and harshly informative…
MAX HASTINGS
Blood River represents a remarkable marriage of travelogue and history, which deserves to make Tim Butcher a star for his prose, as well as his courage.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
From his adventure he has plundered a wealth of terrific stories, and survived to recite a rosary of unstinting horror.
FERGAL KEANE
This is a terrific book, an adventure story about a journey of great bravery in one of the world's most dangerous places. It keeps the heart beating and the attention fixed from beginning to end.
HATCHARDS
…unputdownable…
GILES FODEN
An intrepid adventure... Tim Butcher has followed in the footsteps of Stanley and Conrad. It takes a lot of guts to yomp through the Congo and he obviously has plenty of those. But it is the wit and passion of the writing which keeps you engrossed.
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
..stirring and thought-provoking.
AESTHETICA MAGAZINE
….a remarkable travelogue of exquisite proportions…. highly emotive, historical and personal…Butcher’s elegant style demands the reader’s attention…….Blood River is nothing short of a modern-day masterpiece.
WANDERLUST
What makes Blood River such a compelling read is the fact that the journey becomes an exercise in mental terror, the author skilfully conveying the exhaustion of six weeks on tenterhooks, wondering what might happen just around the next bend.
THOMAS PAKENHAM
Tim Butcher deserves a medal for this crazy feat. I marvel at his courage and his empathy with the unfortunate Congolese...
ESQUIRE
…gripping…
TRAVEL AFRICA
The past meets present in this enthralling travelogue through the depths of the Congo.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: A Shocking Insight Comment: Quite simply I gave this book top marks because it gave such a clear and shocking insight into the DR Congo. Before reading this book I had not been aware of how depraved and destroyed this country is and has continued to be for so long. Whilst outside countries continue to pillage this wonderful country it will remain one of the most saddest stories of world history. The fact that most of the wildlife has now been destroyed across this country gives a good indication of how desperate the people's lives have become. Thank you Tim. Good luck people of DR Congo. Customer Rating: Summary: An easy to read travelogue, but nothing more. Comment: One has to admit that Tim Butcher's journey through the war torn DRC is an amazing exploit, albeit more than slightly foolish! The same cannot be said about the book. It's an easy to read travel story which is decent entertainment on a long haul flight, but I cannot understand the purpose of the book. Partly a travel narrative and partly a historic recount of Stanley's voyage through the Congo, it fails to achieve depth in both. It is also a denunciation of Congo's colonial masters, their Congolese successors and Congo's neighbours who play a role in the East-Congo conflict. It is quite repetitive: if you didn't know that Kinshasa used to be called Leopoldville and Kisangani is the contemporary name of Stanleyville, you will never forget after reading this book. A disappointment given the grandeur of the trip itself. Customer Rating: Summary: Feel the heat and start sweating Comment: Simply a great travel book. Tim somehow manages to convey the sticky, claustrophobic atmosphere and undertones of malice and danger he experienced. We feel his discomfort, his pain, his fear, his hunger, his loss of hope for the land he travelled through. But he also introduces us to some ordinary or rather extraordinary human beings who helped him in his journey. They demonstrate real courage and determination in simply surviving without losing dignity. He doesn't rose tint his environment and vividly portrays the cruel nature of those with power in DRC. This book says a lot more about humanity than just about a journey. If you are interested in Africa then read this book. Customer Rating: Summary: Fascinating and insightful Comment: Full of insight into the Congo, its history and relationships with its neighbours. The author's personal story makes it a good read, thanks to his detemination, sensitivity and the hardship he endures. The information he includes gives it a valuable educational quality. At the end I was filled with frustation, a sense of futility verging on anger. Colonisation has left scars and horror everywhere. It is understandable that the Congo may want to forget all that it was as a Belgian colony. But what is in its place?
Reminiscent of the potential and beauties of Africa and its people, there is a seeming disabilty for the Congo to rise above its past and take control of its future. The author clearly makes the point that in other parts of the world, this has happened successfully.
If you want to look inside the Congo (Africa?), and try to understand its issues this is 'must read'. But be prepared to wrestle with these issues, which the author so brilliantly highlights, for a long time afterwards.
Customer Rating: Summary: over-hyped Comment: this book has a very good intro and that must be what prompted the likes of le carre and william boyd to big it up
But butcher comes across as naive and a whiner, and the book quickly gets boring and repetitive.
to be honest it's hard to believe this guy is a war correspondent, he gets scared very easily while his analysis of Congolese history is oversimplistic and his UN apologism frankly nauseating
